More gourmet than grunge

Seattle's flourishing foodie scene has the same independent spirit as its music. Tara Gladden takes us on an eat-and-run tour of its neighbourhoods, each with its own culinary highlight from seafood to smoked meats. At the sound of the gong, the chatter dies down and everyone looks over at Colin Patterson (pictured): green entrepreneur, new age guru and avuncular host for tonight's vegan feast. After welcoming the small band of patrons to Sutra restaurant, a holistic fine-dining room attached to a yoga studio, Patterson asks us to be thankful for our food - which, if the regulars' breathless recommendations are anything to go by, shouldn't be too difficult. As he walks around pouring the locally produced aperitif, the friendly chefs-cum-servers bustle about, distributing the first of four exquisitely prepared courses. The menu (printed on 100% recycled grocery bags, of course) reads like poetry: house-smoked chanterelle, sunchokes with wild-huckleberry blossom dressing, caramel coconut ice-cream finished with black lava salt. The flowers on our plates, we're assured, are all edible and grown in the back garden. The staff even walks their coffee over from the roasters, to save transport emissions. Yet this is hardcore eco-eating that isn't afraid to be decadent. For Sutra is no run-of-the-mill veg-and-vinyasa joint. Rather it's at the forefront of Seattle's foodie revolution, which in recent years has seen the neighbourhood restaurant scene evolve into a glutton's playground. Better known to outsiders as the birthplace of Starbucks and Boeing, the Emerald City is blessed with world-class local produce and a gutsy, entrepreneurial spirit that is reflected in both its dynamic music scene and its Gold Rush roots. Back then it was the last civilised outpost on the way up to the Yukon wilderness. These days, food - as the locals will tell you - is the next frontier. Exploring Seattle's edible riches requires a certain spirit of adventure. While the city's districts have always had their own character - from countercultural Fremont to upscale Capitol Hill - they now have their own distinct flavour as well, and clued-up gourmands regularly crisscross Lake Union in search of the best coffee, the perfect smoked meat and the widest selection of microbrews. Here are the neighbourhoods where they're heading... Sutra, 1605 N 45th Street (00 1 206 547 1348; www.sutraseattle.com). Open Wed-Thurs 7pm seating; Fri-Sat 6.30pm and 9.30pm; Sun 6.30pm. Advanced booking recommended.

WALLINGFORDFor classic comfort food As well as Sutra, with its haute-hippy cuisine, this leafy, chilled-out neighbourhood boasts scores of independent shops, bars and restaurants, specialising in everything from poetry to pork rinds. If, however, you're on a mission to seek out superlatives, then you'll want to head straight for the original Molly Moon's (N 45th Street), as more than one food blogger has insisted, 'the best ice cream in Seattle - arguably the world'. You'll spot it straight away - it's the one with the line of skinny-jeaned kids outside the door, waiting patiently for their scoops of honey lavender or porterhouse ice-cream, with balsamic redux. Do yourself a favour and join the queue. Molly Moon's, 1622 N 45th Street (00 1 206 547 5105; www.mollymoonicecream.com). Open daily, noon 2-9pm.

PIONEER SQUAREFor don't-mess-with-the-best sandwiches The elegant streets around Pioneer Square are something of a contradiction. While the oldest neighbourhood in Seattle gleams with neat boulevards, expensive galleries and sleek design firms, it's also home to the city's corniest tourist attractions and most raucous nightlife. The one thing that locals and visitors alike can agree on is Salumi: the smoked meat joint owned by Armando Batali, whose grandfather opened the city's first Italian deli back in 1903 and whose son is the award-winning chef Mario Batali. The sandwiches here are works of art - so much so that the straight-talking staff refuse requests for substitutions point blank. 'It's perfect the way it is,' they'll insist, and the first bite tells you they're right. Salumi, 309 Third Ave South (00 1 206 621 8772; www.salumicuredmeats.com). Open Tues-Fri 11.30am-3.30pm.

PIKE PLACE MARKETFor fish so fresh it fights back In the labyrinthine covered market, sellers vie for the attention of out-of-towners and local chefs, posing with oversized lobsters and paring off slices of bulbous heritage tomatoes for browsers to try. There are plenty of tourist traps here, and the real deal is easy to miss. At Etta's the windows are tinted and a neon sign flickers, making it look more like a cheap bar than a gourmet destination. Even their signature dish, 'Rub-with-Love Salmon', sounds a little phoney to your average Brit. But leave your cynicism at the door, order up a portion, and load your fork with shitake mushrooms and corn-bread pudding, and you'll see why the place is such a Seattle institution. Etta's, 2020 Western Avenue (00 1 206 443 6000; tomdouglas.com). Open daily, 11.30am to 9.30pm; open Sat-Sun 9am-9.30pm.

FREMONTFor countercultural cocktails As the signpost boasts, free-loving Fremont is the 'centre of the universe' - at least if you're hankering after vintage shopping, cruelty-free brunches and statues of Uncle Joe Stalin. The geographically challenged might have a few problems tracking down The Backdoor at Roxy's, but trust me, it's worth the challenge. You enter through a grimy parking lot, then once inside this speakeasy verges on the operatic: all velvet drapes and theatre props. The rib-sticking food is incredible value, but what locals really rave about are the cocktails. Opt for a rich, smoky Sazerac, or whatever the barmaid's concocted that night from the glistening rows of top-shelf spirits. The Backdoor at Roxy's, 462 N 36th Street (00 1 206 632 7322; www.backdooratroxys.com). Open daily, 5pm to 2am

BALLARDFor microbrews and macro trails Still true to its roots as a working-class fishing port, Ballard retains its laidback, Scandinavian flavour even as the hipsters pour in. Once you've taken in the locks and the fish ladder, wet your whistle at Rick and Ellen's joint, The Noble Fir. Combining two of the North-Westerners' passions - the great outdoors and even greater beer - this homey bar lets you pore over hiking books and maps while sampling a flawlessly curated list of local wine, ale and cider. Because all that mental exercise is thirsty work.